Smart city run: Chandigarh approaches 8 private consultancy agencies

CHANDIGARH: To ensure the city has a strong chance to enter the second list of smart cities to be announced in April, the UT administration has planned to select one out of eight private consultancy agencies that helped other cities make it to the first list.

Two of these companies managed to secure above 70% marks for its cities, while the rest ensured two cities each made it to the first list. The selected agency would help the administration submit its papers and prepare estimates for the smart city project. "We are hoping to make a robust and detailed proposal as it will come handy at the time of implementation. The process has started and the selection will be made soon," said home secretary Anurag Agarwal.

The agency would carry out an in-depth exercise on each point of the observations of the ministry of urban development. "After the preparation of the revised proposal, we will also take the consent of the ministry of the home affairs. Each segment will be scrutinized in a manner so that the revised proposal is accepted easily. Since we are going to hire one of the top consultancy agencies, we feel their experience and work will matter," said sources .

The detailed letter of the ministry had stated that suggestions made by a panel of experts were extremely useful for improving and revising proposals.

Consultancy agencies that helped these cities make it to the first list of smart cities